On June 21, 1999, Dallas' hockey champions were honored with a parade and a ceremony at Reunion Arena following their Stanley Cup Finals win over the Sabres. With little to celebrate these days, here's a look back.

The specifics of the NHL’s new collective bargaining
agreement still are a bit foggy, but the most important aspect of the new
document in regards to the Stars might be that it has been signed by the
owners.

Yes, there are rules on restricted free agents that still have to be explored
in order to get Jamie Benn signed. Yes, there are still-to-be-revealed aspects
about revenue sharing that could make it easier for the team to absorb some of
the financial losses it has endured over the past two years. Yes, there are
unknown waiver rules that could affect strategy this season.

But all of that is manageable as long as the Stars are playing games.

Like a brand new race car sitting in a garage at Texas Motor Speedway, the
Stars have only been able to rev the engine and adjust the fuel mixture over the
past six months. Since Tom Gaglardi bought the team out of bankruptcy in
November 2011, the Stars have brought in new management, new sales people and a
new marketing staff.

He has bolstered the front office with consultant Bob Gainey, and he had a
hand in restructuring the roster with free-agent additions Jaromir Jagr and Ray
Whitney, as well as trade acquisitions Derek Roy and Cody Eakin. He has filled
the tank with gas, checked the air pressure in the tires and personally made
sure the suspension is flawless.

“It is sort of like getting the green light,” Gaglardi said Wednesday. “It’s
the start to a new era. We’ve been here, and we’ve been doing work, and we’ve
been imagining what it might look like, and now we have a chance to really see
the product.”

The NHL players still have to approve the deal, and that means training camps
might not start until Sunday or Monday. There also is the little detail of an
official schedule still not being released. But the general feeling is the Stars
will be at American Airlines Center on Jan. 19, and the abridged 2012-13 season
will begin.

And that’s good news for this team.

“I’m beyond excited,” Gaglardi said. “We had a vision of what we wanted this
team to be last July, and we pulled the trigger on some significant moves, and
now we get to see the team on the ice. That’s one of the wonderful things about
sports: You have ideas, you make decisions, and then you get to see them play
out in front of you.”

Gaglardi has preached patience with the turnaround of the Stars, but he also
knows that things can change quickly in the NHL. The Los Angeles Kings entered
the playoffs as an eighth seed last season and won the Stanley Cup. The Stars
have missed the playoffs for four straight seasons, but reaching the postseason
this spring could accelerate the recovery of the team as an important player on
the Dallas sports landscape.

“Honestly, you never know in hockey,” he said. “If you look at teams before
last season and then compare them to how they finished, it’s all over the place.
It’s a tough thing to predict.

“But [general manager] Joe [Nieuwendyk] and his staff made changes that they
thought were necessary and that they thought made this a better team, and I
agree,” Gaglardi added. “I look at where we are right now, and I believe we are
a better team on the ice and off the ice, and now we have to go out and prove
that.”

The Stars should be helped by the new CBA. They have the opportunity to draw
revenue sharing to help finances in the short-term, and they are well positioned
in salary cap space. They have built their farm system, and that should help
provide economic depth for years to come as the youngsters move up the ladder
and allow Dallas to avoid spending big on free agents.

“We’ve had a lot of time to put a lot of thought into a lot of areas,”
Gaglardi said. “Now, we have the chance to put those thoughts into
action.”

Return to the ice

Stars training camp could begin Sunday or
Monday, depending on when the NHL Players Association votes on ratification of
the new labor agreement. The vote is expected late this week.

The Stars would like to bring in their AHL
affiliate, the Texas Stars, for a Tuesday scrimmage or practice.

The Stars are expected to start the regular
season at home Jan. 19.

The Stars confirmed that Mike Modano will return
to the organization, but his job description has not been decided. Modano, who
has been working with the Allen Americans, was part of a video advertising
campaign released by the Stars on Wednesday.

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